Bridle.



A. J. HENTSGHEL.

BRIDLE.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.20, 1914.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

1HE NORRIS PETERS CO., FHDTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C

NDR/EVV' J'. HENTSCIEL, Ol? SCHJ'LENBURG, TEXAS.

Application filed April 30, 1911i.

To @ZZ "to/0m it 7 aag/ concern lie it lmown that l, ANDREW d. HENT- sorrnL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schulenburg, in the county of Fayette, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Bridles; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same.

This is an improvement on my application, Serial No. 785,505, iiled Aug. 19, 1918.

The present invention relates to a bridle and more particularly to a bridle wherein means for controlling a horse is provided.

An object et the invention is to provide a device which can be used either with or without the ordinary driving bit.

ifi further object of the invention is to provide a device wherein an unruly horse which cannot be controlled by the ordinary driving bit may be controlled.

still further object of the invention is to provide a device by which a horse may be etectually guided.

With these and other objects in vier', the present invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts as herein set forth.

Referring to the drawing; Figure 1 is a `front elevation of my device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line Xd of Fig. 1. 3 is a sectional view on the line Y-Y of Fig. 1. Fig. L1 is a plan view ci' my cevice showing the controlling lever and operating mechanism therefor, in operative position.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters wherein similar parts are indicated by similar characters, the device consists of a trame 1 of U-shape and adapted to iit the contour of a horses nose. @n the inside of this trame is a pad member 2 or' any suitable material.

1removably secured by screws 1 to this frame at the front portion thereof is a small piece oi spring metal 2 having an inwardly projecting prong 8 adapted to contact with the horses nose ir" he pushes it forwardly. ln the upper 'front edge of said trame is a slot B to which a supporting strap i is adapted to be attached. Supporting straps 5 are attached to the rings 6 pivotally held on thel rear ends of the frame member. 1n the forward face orp the said frame member is an opening 7 in which Specicaton-oi Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.. 16, 1915..

Serial No. 833,281.

are adapted to operate the lever members 8. f"`? 1 illes) lei r members are pivoted, as at 9, to the u, per and lower clips 10 and on the inner ends oi' these levers are presser' meinbers 11 arranged t contact with the nostrils oi a horse. The outer ends ot' these lever members are extended forwardly and thence curved rearwardly, as at 1.2. To the free ends of these rearwardly curved portions 12 are attached links 13 which links are attached at their tree ends to the lever actuating mechanism. This actuating mechanism comprises tubular members 1s attached to the side of the frame 1 and extending longitudinally thereof. rhese tubular members are threaded internally at their rear ends and in these internally threaded portions are inserted set screws 15 having longitudinally extending apertures 16. 1n the other ends of these tubular members are slidably arranged plugs 1'? to which are attached the linlrs 13. rlhese members 17 are internally threaded, as at i8.

Extending through the setl screws 15 are roc s 19, screw threaded on their forward ends, as at 20, where hey are adapted to engage the screw threads in the plug members 17. @n the rear ends of the rods 19 are eye members 9.1 to which are adapted to be attached the reins il] hen it is desired to operate the lever members and engage the nosnils oit a horse by the inner ends thereoiE the reins 22 are pulled rearwardly through the rods 19, the links 13 and the levers S, and the nostrils of the horse are engaged. ln order that the said nostril engaging members may not be actuated too easily and that the pressure on the nostrils may be somewhat controlled by the device itself 1 provide springs 23 encircling the rods 19 within the tubes 14., and bearing at one end against the plugs 17 and at the other end against the set screws 15. The said springs normally tend to return the nostril engaging members to inoperative position and may also be adjusted by means of the said set screws 15 so that their tension will be either materially increased or decreased. rilhus if it is desirable to increase the tension it is done by screwing the said set screws 15 inwardly within the tubes la. 1t is at times desirable to increase the tension of these springs so that a pull may be brought to bear upon the reins and the horse guided without even actuating the lever members or when actuating them to such an extent that the horses respiration will not be interfered with.

In order to clamp the set screws 15 after being screwed into the ends of the tubes lll, l have provided the said set screws with longitudinally extending slots 2li and in these slots are mounted leaf springs 25. These springs may be depressed below the surface of the threaded portions of the set screws, while the set screws are being adjusted, but after the same have been adjusted, the springs are then released and bear against the threads of the tubular members lll, thus rictionally preventing the said set screws from rotating.

I have provided further means whereby my device may be used merely for guiding a horse, and this means acts to lool; the lever members in inoperative position. On the set screws 15 are formed internal threads 26 and on the rear end of each rod is mounted a member 27 which is internally threaded and adapted to be adjusted upon the rod on the threads This member 27 has an eX- ternally threaded shank 29 which is arranged to be screwed into engagement with the internal threads 26 on the set screws. Vhen this is done the lever members will be locked in operative position and the device may be used merely for guiding the horse. To again allow the lever members to be operated by a pull upon the driving reins it is only necessary to disengage the members 27 rom the internal threads of the set screws for then the presser members will be allowed to operate through the actuating rods.

trame, presser members on one end of each of said levers, links connected to the other ends of said levers, operating rods connected to said links, spring means for holding said levers in inoperative position, tubular casings mounted on said frame and 'lnclosing said rods andv said spring means, and means operatively connected to said casings for varying the tension ot' said spring means.

2. ln a bridle, a frame constructed and arranged to bridge the nostrils of a horse, levers pivoted thereto and arranged to engage the nostrils of the horse, means for operating said levers, spring means for returning said levers to inoperative positions, and means to vary the tension or" said spring means.

ln testimony whereof, l aPiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses,

A NDREVV J. HENTSCHEL.

Witnesses JOHN EIGHMANN, W. U

1LOFFMEISTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

